Angela Merkel

[scherzkeks]

Rich_W said:

Countdown said:

jjlynn27 said:

At any rate, this is a thread about Merkel, who, according to many posters, actually runs EU, whose popularity seems rather high considering that she is about to stand for the third time.

It's not surprising her popularity is so high, she's doing a good job.

I think some of the resentment of her (on here) is purely because she is doing such a good job especially at holding the EU together when they want to see it fail....

Essentially Germans now are indoctrinated that because Hitler did terrible things. They must never speak ill of immigrants, that if they say anything bad about immigrants they can go to prison. They are basically guilt tripped and it's gone so far that they can't stop it! And with Merkel in charge it's unlikely to ever be reset to anything approaching normal.

Lots of truth to this as I can confirm after many years here and with having German extended family. That said, the racism trope is being used everywhere these days to attack opponents of globalism, whether LePen in the EU or Trump in the US.

[Hugo a Gogo]

loads of people here moan about immigrants all the time
maybe less than in England, or not taken as seriously as in England

[Hugo a Gogo]

Raygun said:

You must appease them, buy all their goods and tell the rest of the world how fantastic they are.
True story. The other day the chap next door asked if I could feed the fish in his pond whilst him and his misses went on holiday for 2 weeks. "Here you go Ray, handful every other day" there on the side of the fish food tub in big bold letters with a German flag 'MADE IN GERMANY' as if that's better than any other fish food because it's made in Germany. The fking arrogance of them holds no bounds.

it's quite interesting, the history of the 'MADE IN GERMANY' labelling, why it's written in English
http://www.dw.com/en/125-years-of-made-in-germany/...

[everyeggabird]

I have had a book for a while that I keep trying to read but just can't get into it regarding the British car industry (our part in its downfall).

Why were there not riots in the streets when Land Rover, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley etc etc were sold off, (and where did they go?) Are we mad?

Would Germany have sold off BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Would France sell Citroen and Peugeot?

Being a car related forum is this not the biggest scandal of all.

[egomeister]

everyeggabird said:

I have had a book for a while that I keep trying to read but just can't get into it regarding the British car industry (our part in its downfall).

Why were there not riots in the streets when Land Rover, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley etc etc were sold off, (and where did they go?) Are we mad?

Would Germany have sold off BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Would France sell Citroen and Peugeot?

Being a car related forum is this not the biggest scandal of all.

Germany wouldn't need to sell off BMW, Mercedes and Audi because they are run properly.

As a German colleague said to a friend of mine when he was working out there "why are you (the British) so good at designing the car, but you can't run the company?"

[dandarez]

everyeggabird said:

I have had a book for a while that I keep trying to read but just can't get into it regarding the British car industry (our part in its downfall).

Why were there not riots in the streets when Land Rover, Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Bentley etc etc were sold off, (and where did they go?) Are we mad?

Would Germany have sold off BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Would France sell Citroen and Peugeot?

Being a car related forum is this not the biggest scandal of all.

I had that book when it came out, around 8 years ago. Appallingly proof-read (or rather, not proof-read at all). Plus errors such as the MGB GT LE available only in 'gold'. It was 'pewter'!

Best book on the British motor industry from that point of view is 'Wheels of Misfortune - The Rise and Fall of the British Motor Industry' by highly respected motoring journalist, Jonathan Wood. It's old now though, published in 1988.

[Rich_W]

So Frau Merkel believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ang...


How in 2017, as the head of a major state, can she even entertain that backwards notion! fking ignoramus!


I can only assume she is trying to appeal to a certain vocally (and often violently) anti-gay demographic....

[vonuber]

I know! Imagine if our PM jumped into bed with that sort of person just for political expediency!

[glazbagun]

vonuber said:

I know! Imagine if our PM jumped into bed with that sort of person just for political expediency!

[Rich_W]

vonuber said:

I know! Imagine if our PM jumped into bed with that sort of person just for political expediency!

I see what you did there.... (Ignored the fact that Merkel is tailoring her views to appeal to immigrants.)


But remember that for all the DUPs backdated views. (Though they do want to scrap the BBC licence fee, so they aren't completely batst ) They aren't going to stop progress in the UK. And allegedly they are TRYING to bring their views into the modern world.

Whereas Merkel should really know better! And if someone who describes herself as liberal still holds stty world views. It says more about her and her moral compass!

[Budflicker]

Rich_W said:

So Frau Merkel believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ang...


How in 2017, as the head of a major state, can she even entertain that backwards notion! fking ignoramus!


I can only assume she is trying to appeal to a certain vocally (and often violently) anti-gay demographic....

I don't agree with her point of view or the way she voted, however i belive that people like you who resort straight to insults because somebody holds a different opinion to you are a bigger problem to our society than people with old fashioned views.

[Mr GrimNasty]

Progressive, moral compass, in 2017, backwards..........

You swallowed the PC enforcement dictionary from the sounds of it.

Wanting to redefine marriage is about as irrelevant and stupid as PC gets.

It's not anti-gay to believe that, it's just a point of view.

But your bigotry and intolerance won't allow it.

Kettle/pot.

[Robertj21a]

Budflicker said:

Rich_W said:

So Frau Merkel believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ang...


How in 2017, as the head of a major state, can she even entertain that backwards notion! fking ignoramus!


I can only assume she is trying to appeal to a certain vocally (and often violently) anti-gay demographic....

I don't agree with her point of view or the way she voted, however i belive that people like you who resort straight to insults because somebody holds a different opinion to you are a bigger problem to our society than people with old fashioned views.

Well said, common sense at last.

[Disastrous]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Progressive, moral compass, in 2017, backwards..........

You swallowed the PC enforcement dictionary from the sounds of it.

Wanting to redefine marriage is about as irrelevant and stupid as PC gets.

It's not anti-gay to believe that, it's just a point of view.

But your bigotry and intolerance won't allow it.

Kettle/pot.

You are a properly foul individual.

[Disastrous]

I've always quite admired Merkel but disagree very much with her stance here.

[Sylvaforever]

Disastrous said:

Mr GrimNasty said:

Progressive, moral compass, in 2017, backwards..........

You swallowed the PC enforcement dictionary from the sounds of it.

Wanting to redefine marriage is about as irrelevant and stupid as PC gets.

It's not anti-gay to believe that, it's just a point of view.

But your bigotry and intolerance won't allow it.

Kettle/pot.

You are a properly foul individual.

Seem to remember a similar phrasing directed against a contributor a short while back must be a Liberal thing..

[Disastrous]

Sylvaforever said:

Disastrous said:

Mr GrimNasty said:

Progressive, moral compass, in 2017, backwards..........

You swallowed the PC enforcement dictionary from the sounds of it.

Wanting to redefine marriage is about as irrelevant and stupid as PC gets.

It's not anti-gay to believe that, it's just a point of view.

But your bigotry and intolerance won't allow it.

Kettle/pot.

You are a properly foul individual.

Seem to remember a similar phrasing directed against a contributor a short while back must be a Liberal thing..

Great stuff!

[Art0ir]

Mr GrimNasty said:

Progressive, moral compass, in 2017, backwards..........

You swallowed the PC enforcement dictionary from the sounds of it.

Wanting to redefine marriage is about as irrelevant and stupid as PC gets.

It's not anti-gay to believe that, it's just a point of view.

But your bigotry and intolerance won't allow it.

Kettle/pot.

Wanting the government be able to decide who can and cant marry is plain authoritarian. They have no business in people's personal lives.

[Robertj21a]

I just wish they'd use a different word.

Marriage is, to many, the union between a man and a woman. Why isn't there a different word for a similar arrangement between 2 males (or females) ?

[Wobbegong]

Robertj21a said:

I just wish they'd use a different word.

Marriage is, to many, the union between a man and a woman. Why isn't there a different word for a similar arrangement between 2 males (or females) ?

To me it is the recognised union of two people who love each other, whatever their genders may be. I don't think it should be forced on religious institutions (that is as bad as telling a gay couple they cannot marry) but feel that it should be allowed for those willing to conduct the ceremony.